Ethics

What is business ethics? Business Ethics (BE) has been called an oxymoron. By an oxymoron, we mean the bringing together of two apparently contradictory concepts. The statement also suggests that there are not, or cannot be, ethics in business. However, there appears to be good reason to suggest that business ethics as a phenomenon, and as a subject, is not an oxymoron. Whilst there will be disagreements about what exactly constitutes “ethical” business activity, it is possible to introduce a fairly uncontroversial definition of the subject itself:

The subject of business ethics are:
“Business Ethics is the study of business situations, activities, and decisions where issues of right and wrong are addressed”.

It is worth stressing that by “right” and “wrong” we mean morally right and wrong. E.g. commercially, strategically or financially right or wrong. Moreover, by “business ethics” we do not mean only commercial business, but also government organizations, pressure groups, non-for-profit businesses, charities and other organizations.

Business ethics and the lawThere is considerable overlap between ethics and the law. The law might be said to be a definition of the minimum acceptable standards of behavior. BE is primarily concerned with those issues not covered by the law, or where there is no definite consensus on whether something is right or wrong. In one sense, BE can be said to begin where the law ends. BE is about the grey areas of business, or where values are in conflict. Studying BE should help you make better decisions, but this is not the same as making right decisions.

Defining morality, ethics, and ethical theory * Morality is concerned with the norms, values and beliefs embedded in social processes which define right and wrong for an individual or a community. * Ethics is concerned with the study of morality and the application of reason to elucidate specific rules and principles that determine right and wrong for a given situation. * These rules and principles are called ethical theories.

Why is Business ethics important? 1.) The power and influence of business in society is greater than ever before * BE helps us understand why this is happening, what its implications might be, and how we can address the situation

2.) Business has the potential to provide a major contribution to our societies * BE helps us understand whether this contribution could be positive or negative

3.) Business malpractices have the potential to inflict harm on individuals, communities and environment * BE helps us understand more of the consequences of and causes of these malpractices

4.) Increasing demands from stakeholders
* BE provides the means to understand these challenges more clearly, in order that firms can meet these expectations more effectively

5.) Few business people have formal BE education or training * BE can help us to identify, analyze and provide solutions to ethical dilemmas in work life

6.) Business ethics can stimulate responsible thinking and conduct Globalization: A key context for Business ethics?
“Globalization is a process which diminishes the necessity of a common and shared territorial basis for social, economic, and political activities, processes and relations” (definition).

Globalization is a very controversial topic in the public debate, and the camps seem to be divided into supporters and critics, there is also some doubt whether globalization is really even happening at all.

Globalization as defined in terms of the deterritorializaion of economic activities is particularly relevant for BE, in three main areas: culture, law and accountability.

Cultural issues
As a result of globalization, corporations are often finding...

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

...consequences of the action.
Under the theory of utilitarianism, it looks at the consequences over and above the act. Analyzing the consequences single-handedly of this situation, whatever everyone except Cecilia and Robbie wanted, who was the minority, was sacrificed for everyone else's happiness. Thus, the moral worth under utilitarianism is determined by its overall utility, making it morally right since the overall happiness of the majority outweighed the minority. The outcome was Robbie being in prison which meant that most will be happy with this situation; it makes everyone except Cecilia feel happy and at ease. Utilitarianism is therefore another theory of ethics that permits lying which is an immoral act. This is a very exclusionary and discriminatory approach to this situation that promotes no moral consequences of this act.
Under the theory of psychological egoism, it is viewed that every action is motivated by self interest. This says that Briony accusing Robbie was motivated for her own selfish reasons. It can be viewed in this way saying that she is motivated by her jealousy over her sister; if she can't be able to have him as her special someone, she doesn't want anyone have him instead. Since Robbie did not acknowledge or love her the way she loved him, she could act in her own self interest and retaliated to send him away from her sister. It can also be looked at...

...dog is aggressive because terrible things do happen. I have a german shepherd that is never off the leash unless inside the dog park fence. Cleaning up after the animal is also our responsibility because diseases can be spread through an animal’s waste. That is also something I have confronted tenants about and reported them for.
Krishna’s advice is all about standing by your upbringing. I take it to mean that you must always follow your path regardless of the outcome or consequences. Therefore, Arjuna is a warrior at war, because of this he must always fight when directed to fight regardless of the consequences. I’m not completely sure how you compare or relate Krishna’s advice to care ethics because to me care ethics is not shown even in the slightest by Krishna.
For me to say I would definitely fight the war would be wrong. For me to say that I would definitely withdraw would be wrong. Frankly, I have no clue how I would act or what I would do on the battlefield. I have been deployed and stationed in warzones but I had no relations or ties to the people we are at war with. Arjuna has friends and family standing on the same battlefield that may die during this conflict. This is not a factor I had to consider when being deployed. So, for me to say that I would fight or would not fight is not an answer I can straight up provide because I have never and will probably never be faced with that situation....

...Most of us would agree that it is ethics in practice that makes sense; just having it carefully drafted and redrafted in books may not serve the purpose. Of course all of us want businesses to be fair, clean and beneficial to the society. For that to happen, organizations need to abide by ethics or rule of law, engage themselves in fair practices and competition; all of which will benefit the consumer, the society and organization.
Primarily it is the individual, the consumer, the employee or the human social unit of the society who benefits from ethics. In addition ethics is important because of the following:
1. Satisfying Basic Human Needs: Being fair, honest and ethical is one the basic human needs. Every employee desires to be such himself and to work for an organization that is fair and ethical in its practices.
2. Creating Credibility: An organization that is believed to be driven by moral values is respected in the society even by those who may have no information about the working and the businesses or an organization. Infosys, for example is perceived as an organization for good corporate governance and social responsibility initiatives. This perception is held far and wide even by those who do not even know what business the organization is into.
3. Uniting People and Leadership: An organization driven by values is revered by its employees also. They are the common thread that brings the...

...1. Nurses value quality nursing care for all people.
Valuing quality nursing care involves nurses accepting accountability for the standard of nursing care they provide, helping to raise the standard of nursing care, and taking action when they consider, on reasonable grounds, the standard of nursing care to be unacceptable. This includes a responsibility to question and report what they consider, on reasonable grounds, to be unethical behaviour and treatment.
2. Nurses value respect and kindness for self and others.
Valuing respect for self and others encompasses valuing the moral worth and dignity of oneself and others. It includes respecting the individual ethical values people might have in the context of health care. Kindness is the demonstration of simple acts of gentleness, consideration and care. The practise of kindness as a committed and everyday approach to care reduces the power imbalance between a person requiring or receiving care and a nurse, by placing the nurse at the person’s service, which is the appropriate relationship.
3. Nurses value the diversity of people.
Valuing the diversity of people requires nurses to appreciate how different cultural backgrounds and languages may influence both the provision and receipt of nursing and health care.
4. Nurses value access to quality nursing and health care for all people.
Valuing nursing and health care for all people requires nurses to uphold the principles and...

...The study of ethics is a very old process. It is a topic scholars have been studying and theorizing on for centuries. This is not the case when we talk about environmental ethics. The study of environmental ethics has only really been studied for the past forty years or so. Ethics is defined as the study of right and wrong conduct. (Ruggiero, (2008), pg. 5) This translates to the environment by how we as humans do right or wrong to the environment. For many years people have gone about their every day business not giving much thought to the consequences of their actions. It was taken for granted that the environment and its resources would always be there. We now know that is not the case. The Study of Ecology has shown us this fact. Through this paper I will discuss the past, present, and future of environmental ethics as well as give my position on the topic.
To begin I will start with the history of environmental ethics. In the early 1970’s the idea of studying our impact on the environment had really just begun. In the beginning half of the 20th century people focused on progress. They focused on building and making and ultimately taking from the environment. “Modern production paid little or no attention to the fundamental mechanisms of the Earth. In the latter half of the twentieth century people began to realize that development was no longer sustainable without...

...Ethics of ecology focuses on sustaining business and environment. Ethics is a set of principles about right and wrong and how human beings should behave. Ecology is about inter- relationships – between living organisms (both plants & animals) and between biological & physical entities. As people now realise that the environment is a limited resource, awareness all over the world of the necessity to protect and save the environment has grown as well. From the Bill of Rights, Chapter 2, of the S.A. Constitution, “Everyone has the right ¬
a. to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being; and
b. to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures that ¬
i. prevent pollution and ecological degradation;
ii. promote conservation; and
iii. secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources while promoting justifiable economic and social development”
Major manifestations of environmental abuse include global warming, depletion of the ozone layer pollution of air, water, resource depletion toxic waste and major health risks. From the extract we read that water has also become an ethical issue and we see Coca Cola and Nestle at the brim of this. Ethics of ecology are concerned with rights as the: Right of future generation which state that, “every person has the right to inherit an uncontaminated planet on...

...﻿Vincent Lajoie 30/11/2012
Humanities for Social Sciences
Professor: Bethany Or
Words: 1,607
Animal Ethics – Final Essay
One of the most popular yet highly controversial topics surrounding our modern day society is the animal ethics debate over animal hunting policies around the world, but more precisely here in North America. In the past few decades, the modernized human mindset has shifted from the carefree, irresponsible attitude regarding global matters like the environment and animal protection towards a more proactive sense of awareness and protectiveness never seen before. Even though the subject of animal hunting has become a dull and delicate topic of conversation nowadays, I strongly suggest that it is morally permissible to ignore the well-being of sentient beings such as animals in this case, that the animal hunting industry should not be condemned or eliminated. To prove this theory, I will provide sufficient argumentative evidence along with ethical theories and standpoints acquired throughout the semester that are in relation with said arguments that clearly state why I am for the global continuation of hunting without restrictions.
Although it is true that the hunting of innocent animals has some sort of disutility, such as the loss of animal life as the most noticeable, it is far...

...﻿
TUI University
Lisa Tanner
Module 2 Case Assignment
Ethics 501: Business Ethics and Consequentialism
Professor:
Dr. Bonnie L. Adams
Introduction
We’re studying business ethics and every day when we go in our places of business we see so many people such as mangers, leader, and assign shift leaders lacking the knowledge of ethics. We have so many people not living in the deontological ethic world. Their living in their own world doing what they have to do no matter who it affect as long as they get what they want or need. This day and time there is so many people that is living in utilitarian ethical word. Meaning we have so many people coming up with new ideas and products but is really not doing enough research just in case they have some major defects.
The Creation
BUFFALO, N.Y., Sept. 28 (UPI) -- Wilson Greatbatch, creator of the implantable pacemaker, which saved the lives of millions, died in his home near Buffalo, N.Y., his daughter said. He was 92(Unite Press International, 2011).
"Never avoid doing anything because you fear it won't work," Greatbatch told University at Buffalo engineering students in 1990, the Buffalo News reported. "You shouldn't look only for success or peer approval. You should just do your work because it's a good thing to do (Unite Press International, 2011)."
Greatbatch, an inventor, engineer and industrialist, appeared to succeed more often than fail,...